SEBASTIAN — Christine Lantz, a 14-year resident of Sebastian, was on her way to a doctor’s appointment Thursday morning when she got off the GoLine bus at the US Post Office on Main Street. She was greeted with cheers and applause, confetti and noise-makers – all in celebration of her – the One Millionth rider of the GoLine system.
For two years, Lantz has been taking the GoLine at least once a week to do her running – to the doctor, grocery, mall, or to visit friends in Vero Beach.
“I’m very appreciative of the bus service,” Lantz said. “It’s a wonderful asset to the community.”
A retiree living on a fixed income, Lantz decided to take the bus to save on fuel and wear and tear on her vehicle.
“It’s clean and comfortable,” she said of the buses. The drivers are courteous, she added.
The celebration of the One Millionth rider came on the same day as communities across the nation mark Dump the Pump Day – a day when residents are encouraged to forgo their own vehicles and take public transit instead.
For 30 years, Indian River County has provided some form of public transportation, starting with just a couple vans offering door-to-door service through Community Coach.
The system has grown and evolved over the decades and now includes 61 buses that run 15 fixed routes throughout the county, taking passengers to their shopping and medical destinations, as well as various points of interest in the area.
Since 2007, GoLine has seen ridership increase 250 percent – a feat considering the county’s population is 140,000 people.
“We’re here to celebrate that GoLine got there,” said Senior Resource Association President and CEO Karen Deigl. The SRA operates and manages the GoLine system.
Deigl said that when she signed onto Senior Resource Association six years ago, the thought of reaching 1 million riders didn’t occur. Instead, she focused her energies on rebranding the service and marketing it, raising the public’s awareness of the free transportation.
In 2006, the system logged 286,000 trips.
“The last two years, I knew we could do it,” Deigl said of hitting the 1 million mark, noting that ridership has continued to increase, particularly due to gas prices and the state of the economy.
Going forward, Deigl said the SRA will continue to evaluate the GoLine service to make enhancements. Such enhancements could include adding new routes and tweaking existing ones.
Deigl said there will be an emphasis on improving the service in the northern part of the county, making it easier for riders to take part in the system.
The organization is also preparing to add bigger, heavier duty buses to the fleet. The buses would be able to accommodate bicycle racks, allowing riders to stow their bikes while en route to their destination.
Phil Matson, the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization staff director, said he was “absolutely delighted” to be a part of the celebration, explaining that his role is to help the government plan for transportation and see that it runs efficiently.
“This embodies that,” Matson said of the GoLine system.
He, himself, has been a GoLine rider, taking to the bus after undergoing eye surgery, which temporarily left his vision too blurry to drive.
While friends and family offered to chauffer him around, Matson decided to hop the bus.
“You don’t want to be a burden,” he said. “The self-sufficiency (of taking the bus) is worth its weight in gold.”
Deigl said those who haven’t taken the GoLine bus should try it – just once.
“Just give it a try,” she said, saying they need only take one route to see that they can spare themselves the stress of driving and the cost of fueling up their vehicles. “Leave the car at home.”
For more information about GoLine’s service and to see route information, visit www.GoLineIRT.com. There is no cost to ride. GoLine buses operate weekdays from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. with extended hours on certain routes. And Saturday service is offered on several routes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
